Anxiety Disorder: Understand How virtual reality is helping to control emotions

Tuesday, 04 de February de 2020
                       


Excessive sweating, tachycardia, chest tightness, tingling, shortness of breath, insomnia, fear of being alone and fear of dying, these are some of the characteristic symptoms of the mental disorder syndrome that has led the world population to the highest rates of psychiatric hospitalization and social withdrawal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 1 in 13 people suffer from anxiety disorder in the world. Brazil is being the world champion when it comes to anxiety disorder. Statistics show that about 10% of the Brazilian population suffer from anxiety attacks and panic syndrome. 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), anxiety is a natural reaction of the human body to responses that cause discomfort or stress. It is perfectly natural to present some symptoms of anxiety while is performing a task that is extremely important, such as taking a test, problems at work, waiting for a diagnosis exam, interview at the first job, among other situations that require from the individual a greater degree of stress. However, people who suffer from anxiety disorders, tend to enhance imaginary situations that does not represent the real life they are facing at. This potentiation leads to excessive stress and fear, which triggers a series of physiological reactions that can be manifested in the physical body, even though anxiety is a mental disorder.

The neurobiological basis that constitutes anxiety is directly related to fear. Just  like anxiety, fear is a natural physiological condition of every human being. Fearing is an important biological tool, present in all animals, whether rational or irrational, which allows the individual to analyze the environment in which he is present and guarantee his survival through fight and escape. Therefore, it is a resource present in the regions associated with the most primitive brain areas, known as the reptilian brain. For the individual who suffers from anxiety disorders, the situations that trigger their anxiety cause the same reaction as situations of great danger in which the associated fight and escape center is activated.

This circuitry involves the activation of the nervous and endocrine systems. People with anxiety attacks when face a stressor that causes them to fear, it activate specific areas of the limbic system including the amygdala and the hypothalamus. The limbic system is formed by circuitry and subcortical structures which is being responsible for emotions. The amygdala leads to the activation of the autonomic and hypothalamic nervous system, as a result, the hypothalamus is responsible for the release of neurotransmitters capable of generating the physical sensations of fight and escape. The hypothalamus, in turn, releases CRH (corticotrophin-releasing hormone) which stimulates the release of ACTH (adrenocorticotrophic hormone) by adenohypophysis and, finally, acts in the adrenals causing the release of cortisol and adrenaline. Adrenaline is a vasoconstrictor, therefore responsible for increasing heart and respiratory rate, increased sweating and the sensations and symptoms present in anxiety.

Panic syndrome is just one of the conditions present within the framework of anxiety disorders. Which consists of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic syndrome (SP) and even social phobia. Many factors can be associated with the development of anxiety attacks, among which are, genetic disorders, stress, excessive worry and lifestyle.

Therefore, virtual reality in its modality entitled serious games has contributed to the improvement of patients suffering from anxiety. Serious games are one of the game modalities in which their development is aimed at purposes that go beyond entertainment. In this sense, a company developed a game called Deep VR which takes patients with anxiety to a relaxing dip in the depths of the ocean. During the virtual dive, patients are taken to training with meditation and breathing techniques within a relaxing environment.


               

               Imagem: Jogo Deep VR


Virtual reality has become a powerful tool in the treatment of mental disorders. Considering that it is a safe environment and that the same scenario can be trained hundreds of times. The applications of virtual reality is not only applied to anxiety disorders, but also phobias, autism, and neurodegenerative disorders like parkinson and alzheimer.
 

Reference:

[1] Anxiety Disorder. National Institute of Mental Health. Retirado de: 

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

[2] Circuito do medo. Revista FAPESP. Retirado de: 

https://revistapesquisa.fapesp.br/2002/04/01/circuitos-do-medo/

[3] Neurobiologia das emoções. Vanderson Esperidião-Antonio, Marilia Majeski-Colombo, Diana Toledo-Monteverde, Glaciele Moraes-Martins, Juliana José Fernandes, Marjorie Bauchiglioni de Assis, Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista. Rretirado de: 

http://www.scielo.br/pdf/rpc/v35n2/a03v35n2

[4] Deep VR. Retirado de:  http://www.exploredeep.com/  
           
                                            



The content published here is the exclusive responsibility of the authors.

Autor: Tássia Nunes
#socialinteraction #emotionsintogamedesign #bienestarwellnessbemestar #socialinteraction #emotionsintogamedesign #bienestarwellnessbemestar









NIRxBesaArtinisBrain ProductsEasyCAP